Kazuo Kiriyama
I care not for what gods you believe in, I care for only one god, and that is the God of Death. And right now, that's who I am.- Kazuo Kiriyama, right before killing the rebel lord Quinten Zarosi. Kazuo Kiriyama Kazuo is head of House Kiriyama, owing fealty to the Arch-Light House of Meimyaku. Kazuo has demonstrated superior combat prowess as the First Ranger of Light in the First Shadow Civil War, fighting along side the royalist Inculta forces led by Vulpes. Kazuo posseses the common features of his house, pointed ears, pointed teeth, and black hair. The ancient words of his House are : '' Come Try Me '' Rise to Power/ Restoring the Family Name Kazuo was born at the Kiriyama seat of power at the city of Storm's End. Located in the far south of the Light District. He was born into riches more than he could possibly use, but at the time, his family was laughed at and mocked openly in court. His father Kazten Kiriyama, a war hero of the Great and Praetorian wars, was more concerned with feasts and his new wife, a common whore he became infatuated with after the death of his wife. Due to his father's negligence, House Kiriyama became the laughing stock of the Light District. Upon realizing this, Kazuo arranged for his father's death via poisoning at one of his beloved feasts. To the wife he stripped naked, raped, and forced her to walk through the streets of Storm's End, from the Royal Keep to the slums of the city, naked the entire time so that the world may see her shame. Finally, after he grew bored and the whole population witnessed her, he withdrew his guards from her. Leaving her to the raping by the massive crowds from the slums. After news reached the ears of Kazten's death and his wife's fate, Kazuo was acknowledged as Head of House Kiriyama, the youngest ever at the age of 14. His first order of business was the beheading of those in his service that had exploited his father.. and their subsequent delivering to the lords who had challenged Lord Kazten's authority at court. An open request of war, none dared accept( Kiriyama has/had the largest military forces in the Light District). And so House Kiriyama was back on top, rivaling Meimyaku for the postion of Arch-House. Civil War The Kiriyamas are a result of a lordship granted by House Meimyaku to Kerrek The Killer, an assassin in service to them in the days of old before The Conquest. They had no ancestral claim to lands or Kingdoms as the rebels did, so Kazuo saw no reason to risk his House supporting them. Instead he left his cousin Kollen as Temporary Head-of-House while he went south to assist his ally Vulpes in the Inculta Civil War, taking 90,000 men-at-arms with him, about half of their military. The remaining force was split into pieces between fighting on the frontlines and mainting peace in the homelands. Kazuo ( age 19 at this time ) led the Rangers during their time in the Shadowlands, conducting raids and assaults as well as rescue missions and guerilla operations behind enemy lines. He claimed spoils of war and bathed himself in glory and honor as the other rangers did. And like the other rangers, bred bastards born of rape. He denies them all their rights to this day. Religion Kazuo is a devout follower of the Many-Faced God, known as the God of Death. And so are most of the population of Storm's End. This is the only Light-District city to have such a number of followers other than the Shadow District. The majority of the rest of the planet are Shayists or other minor religions.